Month: June 2016

One hundred! Now thats an impressive number. If it is your age a very impressive number indeed. The score on a test, well that usually means you got every answer right.

Today, for me, 100 has two meanings.

It’s the outside temperature, Not the most comfortable temperature. Fortunately we live in the suburbs of Denver and the night time temps will almost always drop into the 60s or 70s, making sleep possible.
The other 100 hundred is the days till my retirement. Now that’s something I’m looking forward to. My retirement plan sits in the driveway waiting, our escape pod, The T@B aka “The Nut Shell”.

We have in the year and a half that it has owned us taken it out on local weekend jaunts, week long trips and one three week adventure that took us from Colorado to the beauty of Door County, Wisconsin, home to visit family in Illinois and back to colorful Colorado.
For the past 18 months we have been in the test pattern, trying and rejecting different gear. Testing the solar and generator systems to be more aware of our off grid capabilities. Investing in what I’m convinced will be our grand adventure.

Today’s test was a success in the 100 degree heat,one Honda 2000 generator started and ran the T@B’s Frigidaire air conditioner , lowering and maintaining the interior temperature below 80.

On June 10th we took a weekend trip to Lake Isabel in the Wet Mountains and maintained the battery solely on our 120 watt Zamp solar system.

Our navigations have had mixed results, there is no onboard GPS in our 2007 Toyota FJ, so we have relied on the navigation on our IPhones. This has met with a mix of success and failure, which has led to the purchase and study of 7 of the 10 Benchmark Atlas set. Awesome maps that cover, the western United States. An atlas is only good though if you bring it with you! On the trip to Lake Isabel, I failed to bring the Colorado Benchmark Atlas, and although Siri got us to our campground successfully, a no service area limited any further guided exploration.

We were however quite content to sit and enjoy the lake,
visit nearby Bishop’s Castle and plan our next adventure.

Since I have neglected my blog, and any would be followers, I am going to attempted to go back in time and share with you our adventures so far and what we have planned for the future. So please stayed tuned, work life has a way of foiling my plans.